Chapter 29: The Scapegoat-Irmã Louca Rouba o Casamento? Após Trocar de Lugar com Ela e Casar com o Príncipe Herdeiro de Vida Curta, Eu Subi ao Trono como Imperatriz(Estrela e Pintura de Primavera)

"These young dandies are all wealthy merchants from Qingzhou. The Feng family was once among them, but unfortunately, their fortunes plummeted, their assets were carved up by other merchant families, and the men of the house either died or fell ill."

"In short, only Feng Yueyang remains as the sole heir. There are still others in the household, but they are all women—namely, Feng Yueyang’s elderly mother, his wife, and his daughter. Thus, Feng Yueyang has no choice but to serve as the scapegoat."

Ji Hua peered through the window of the painted pleasure boat, looking toward the group led by Dong Yufeng. Her gaze landed on a man who stood with his head bowed, his face etched with sorrow and gravity. She arched a brow and said, "Prince Xuan’s plan was sound: have them entangle the Crown Prince in this bustling crowd today to draw attention, making it appear as though they are the 'fish that slipped through the net'—merchants from Qingzhou who were supposed to be purged but were overlooked."

"Once that is established, Prince Xuan can step forward and rightfully take charge of transferring them to the Ministry of Justice. If I recall correctly, the Minister of Justice is a protégé of Prince Xuan’s faction, so the Ministry will naturally follow his orders."

"Once inside, Dong Yufeng and the others will provide a stack of confessions implicating Gu Zirui in bribery. Then, they will all 'die' of staged causes and be spirited out of prison, leaving only Feng Yueyang behind to continue acting as the mouthpiece to bite back at his targets."

Ji Hua kept the final part of the plan to herself: Prince Xuan would send the 'deceased' Dong Yufeng and his cohorts away, provide them with new identities, and help them establish themselves elsewhere. After vetting the clever and useful ones, he would maneuver them into positions within the local government offices of Jiangnan.

It was not yet the time to reveal that.

Recalling these events, Ji Hua could not help but sigh inwardly. The Crown Prince’s defeat in her past life had not been without cause; Prince Xuan was ruthless, and the traps he wove were interlocking and seamless. Having just struck a heavy blow against the Crown Prince, he immediately planted his own people in Jiangnan, ensuring that when the Crown Prince later traveled south to investigate cases of corruption, he was essentially walking straight into a snare Prince Xuan had prepared in advance.

Every time he stepped into a trap, he was stripped of a layer of his strength. It was no wonder the Crown Prince had lost.

Ling Yuizhao was waiting for Ji Hua to continue her analysis, only to find the woman suddenly lost in thought. To be distracted while in his presence?

Ling Yuizhao frowned slightly and sneered, "What are you thinking about? Or perhaps... who are you thinking about?"

Coming back to herself, Ji Hua offered a strained smile. "It is nothing. Let us return to the matter of Feng Yueyang. As the final 'tongue' left behind, he will confess truthfully in the Ministry of Justice prison, detailing exactly how Gu Zirui used the Gu family as a shield while in Qingzhou, staging a self-directed embezzlement case to fabricate merit for himself."

"He will also explain how Gu Zirui lured local merchants and officials with promises of promotions for those with titles, and direct appointments to local government offices for those without, provided they paid enough silver."

"And he will detail how he threatened those who refused to comply, labeling them with false charges of embezzling tax silver to wipe them all out at once."

"You mean to say that by leaving Feng Yueyang for last, they intend to frame Gu Zirui with a mountain of fabricated crimes? But a mere word is not enough to convince the Emperor." The Crown Prince pointed out the flaw in the logic.

Ji Hua smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Your Highness, sometimes one does not need ironclad proof; one only needs to plant the seeds of disgust and suspicion in the Emperor’s heart to achieve the goal. It may not topple the Crown Prince in one fell swoop, but that is not the intention."

"However, the Gu family will certainly suffer a heavy blow. If the Gu family is suppressed by the Emperor, will that not be a severe injury to your own vitality, Your Highness? That is Prince Xuan’s true objective."

"That makes sense!" Ling Yuizhao conceded with a smirk.

"Then why do you say Feng Yueyang is the key to breaking the trap? You seem so well-versed in Prince Xuan’s plans, surely you understand the importance of this key figure. Are you certain we can make use of him?"

Ji Hua smiled confidently. "Your Highness, rest assured. Since I have proposed this, I have the confidence to manage him. As I mentioned, Dong Yufeng and his group will 'die' to escape, but Feng Yueyang will truly die in the Ministry of Justice prison."

"Everyone fears death. Once Dong Yufeng and the others have staged their deaths and fled, Feng Yueyang will cling tightly to his accusations against Gu Zirui. Gu Zirui will naturally deny them and demand a face-to-face confrontation, but at that moment, Feng Yueyang will die in his cell. With that, there will be no living witness to verify the claims."

With a mocking smile, Ji Hua said coldly, "Then, they will leave behind a pile of so-called account books showing Gu Zirui accepting bribes in Qingzhou, along with letters promising official positions. Without a witness, it will become an unsolvable mystery, and everyone’s first reaction will be to assume Gu Zirui killed to silence the witness."

"Of course, there will be inconsistencies that cannot be explained, but that ambiguity is precisely what Prince Xuan wants. He knows he cannot secure a conviction for a crime that was fabricated from the start."

Taking a long breath, Ji Hua spoke in a haunting tone. "Yet, with these trumped-up charges and the life of Feng Yueyang, he can destroy Gu Zirui—the rising star of the Gu family—and cause the Gu family to lose the Emperor’s trust, leaving them under suspicion and suppression. Even you, Your Highness, will be viewed with wariness by the Emperor. For Prince Xuan, it is a worthy price."

"The Crown Prince and Prince Xuan are locked in a zero-sum game within the court. If Your Highness is dragged into a whirlpool of factionalism and suppressed by the Emperor, Prince Xuan naturally reaps the benefits. Is that not an obvious outcome?"

"Ha!" Ling Yuizhao chuckled, his dark eyes flickering. The way he looked at Ji Hua held not just inquiry, but a hint of complexity.

When Ji Hua first claimed she would help him ascend the throne, Ling Yuizhao had not truly taken her seriously. He did not believe a woman confined to the inner chambers could possess such capability. Of course, it was mostly because he was confident in himself. If he, the Crown Prince, could not secure the succession, what could a woman like Ji Hua possibly do?

But now, the situation seemed to deviate from his expectations. Ji Hua was no ordinary woman. Her sources of intelligence were vast. At the very least, this Miss Ji was nothing like the rumors suggested.

When they were caught in a moment of passion, she had been able to make a clear-headed decision before Prince Xuan arrived. After Prince Xuan’s group retreated in defeat, she had the audacity to negotiate with him, and later, she led him to a graveyard in the dead of night to reveal a shocking secret about Prince Xuan. Now, she was laying out the entirety of Prince Xuan’s plot against him in meticulous detail.

Looking at Ji Hua’s solemn expression, he realized this plan was likely authentic. Ling Yuizhao was deeply curious as to how she knew all of this. Whether it was the earth-shattering secret about Prince Xuan or these clandestine plans, how could she know them unless she were a trusted insider?

Could it be... that Ji Hua had planted a mole within Prince Xuan’s inner circle?

Thinking of this, Ling Yuizhao asked directly, "Since you have told me all this, Miss Ji, have you considered the consequences if I do not believe you? Or, if your information happens to be incorrect, how I might punish you?"

"You are to marry me soon, Miss Ji. Once you have entered the gates of my Eastern Palace, it will not be so easy for you to change your mind and leave."